END OF JUNE BOUQUET

I was hoping my garden would skip

over a few years and looks like it

was 20 years old by now.  I guess

that's not possible since this is

the 2 year mark.  I do have flowers

for front porch bouquets though 

so that makes me happy!

Have a lovely weekend....

SPRING CREEK TEA ROOM AND ANTIQUE MALL

This week we spent several 

days going to antique

malls around Ozark, Missouri.

We also visited the Spring Creek

Tea Room and Antique

Mall.  It was very busy and fun.

They make fabulous desserts.

This tea room is more like sandwiches,

salads, quiche and desserts with tea.

(not Afternoon Tea)

 We waited to enter as the room

 was already full from lunch time

and many desserts were sold out.  

They have a lovely local following - especially for their desserts.

I had seen an article about the

Mother-Daughter team who

run this tea room.  There is

a definite trend lately for tea

room to be more like old fashioned

lunch cafe's used to be back in

the 50's.  I think it is really 
more "marketable"
 in many respects.

These photos were in the

adjoining antique mall.

And I found a couple personal
treasures.  The sheep pieces
were just odds and ends that 
were unmarked and stained 
but so sweet:

and I loved this trivet:

I do look forward 

to going back

here!

VISITING THE DICKEY HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST

This week our son and daughter in 

law gifted us with a lovely stay at

 the Dickey House Bed and 

 Breakfast in Marshfield, Missouri.

You might know we recently

celebrated our 50th anniversary.

Although the weather was very

hot, we were very comfortable

inside the Dickey House - a 

completely restored Greek

Revival Mansion from 1905.

A lovely wrought iron fence surrounds

the property and it's many glorious

gardens:

From the moment we walked in

the door, we knew we were going

to enjoy our visit.  The innkeepers,

Michaelene & Larry made us

feel right at home.

Guests gather in the evening in this lovely room to chat as the sun goes down.

We enjoyed a delicious gourmet
 prepared

breakfast in a lovely sun room

in the mornings: 

Of course, looking out the window

were the gardens which are

 breathtaking.  Many weddings

have taken place right here.

You know how I

 love garden

statuary!

The view from out 

back looking

at the back:

The owners also have a 

great artist cottage out back

for a place for Mr. Larry

to escape to paint:

There are other cottages 

to stay in as well:

So....if anyone has been dying to

become a B & B owner, now is

your chance!  After years of an

enjoyable experience, the owners

are ready to retire and have more

time for the grandchildren and

family and

some traveling.

Here is the site to see more:

The Dickey House B & B

For sale by owner:  (417)468-3000

ENJOYING SUMMERTIME!

Dear Blogging Friends.....

no tea link party this week!

IN THE GARDEN

Flying In The Garden Now:

AFTER SOME LOVELY RAIN

We finally had a wonderful

 few days of rain.

 Flowers always

 respond

 so much better to rain than 

the water hose!
(Campanula-Bellflower-Canterbury Bells)

Ribbet.....

Have a lovely weekend!

VICTORIA MAGAZINE'S CREAM CHEESE DANISH for "Tea In The Garden"

I love trying recipes and the

July/August issue of Victoria has

one that is really simple. I made
the Cream Cheese Danish 

found on page 87.  

  I hope you are hungry and would 

love some tea.  It is actually starting
to rain right now - so let's eat up fast!
I need to say that instead of the guava
in the recipe I used Raspberry Jam.

The weather here is hot but we are
supposed to get more rain
 this week which we really need.

I have been enjoying the 1999 
Victoria book called "The
Heart of England".  I 
especially enjoy the many
 interesting quotes which 
seem to be part of Victoria's
signature style.

When speaking of English style,
this book refers to the  English 
cottage as a place where "all
 must be happily haphazard, a pro-
fusion of pattern and color....."  
the quote goes on to compare the style
 of the cottage resembling a 
cottage garden.

We have been living with a mess in
 our subdivision.  The HOA voted to 
allow a cable company to lay cable
 lines up and down the streets. 
 It has been unreal seeing huge
 front end loaders (or something
another) dig big holes in our front
 yards. Yesterday they finally filled
 two huge holes in ours and I am 
so glad as this is very distressing!

"O happy Garden! whose seclusion deep
Hath been so friendly to industrious hours;
And to soft slumbers, that did gently steep
our spirit, carrying with them dreams
of flowers,
And wild notes warbled among leafy bowers".
Wordsworth

If you do make the danish,
  I think you
will enjoy it!

THREE LADIES FOR TEA for "Tea In The Garden"

Welcome to my weekly tea
related blog party and welcome
to "Tea in the Garden".

Here in Missouri - the heat
is on outside around 
95 degrees
everyday now!

We are having a lovely summer
just the same but I do my
"getting out in the garden"
earlier now to beat the heat.

I have set up a little tea time
under the patio and am sharing
some lovely cookies.  The recipe 
for these Strawberry-Orange
Thumbprint Cookies came from
the July/August 2013 issue
 of Tea Time
Magazine.

I hope you'd like a cup of tea
though as now is the time before
it gets too hot.  Please help your-
self to the cookies too!

I am sharing a few new vintage
finds today - a quilt and another
lady vase (the beige one) 
which brings my total of these
 little Japanese vases to three.

I am also enjoying some lovely
bouquets as of late.  It is fun
for me to make them up for my
posts as you may know my Hubby
has allergies so they must stay 
on the porch rather than
inside the house.

Recently I was watching some 

YouTube videos about English 

Gardens and Victorian more formal
 gardens.  If you watch them you 
will find them lovely!  I really 
enjoyed the series called 
 The Victorian Flower Garden 
featuring the 
late gardener,  Harry Dodson. 

Here are some articles too:

How to Plant An English Cottage Garden

and

The Victorian Garden

After watching the video series - I know I
am not a "formal garden" girl but rather
I am drawn to the more casual English
Cottage Garden style.

Here is the recipe for the Thumbprint 
Cookies with permission from Tea Time:

Strawberry Orange Thumbprint Cookies: 
 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes baking time

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup salted butter, softened, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup firmly
packed light brown sugar, 2 large egg yolks, 1 Tsp fresh orange
zest, 1/2 tsp orange extract, 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam 

 preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
 paper and set aside

I combine all dry ingredients in my mixing bowl and then
added the other ingredients except jam

I made small balls in the palm of my hand and put this on
the baking sheet - pressing the center and then placing 1/2 tsp or
so in the center where the thumbprint went.  Bake them
around 13 minutes depending on your oven.